1. Field of the Invention
An electromechanical document processing interface device is disclosed for collecting and collating, from a printer, multiple pages of a designated document and delivering these pages as a unit or document packet to post-printing receiving equipment for additional processing.
2. Description of the Background Art
Various electronic and mechanical devices exist for processing printed information documents. Some of these devices function separately or in combination as collection and collating means for printers. Still other simplistic systems exit for connecting a printer's physical printed output to a receiving unit's input. Documents such as bills, inventories, generalized statements, and the like, that are generated by converting relevant directly read of previously stored information into a paper copy by a printing means such as a standard ink printer, photocopying device, and equivalent apparatus often require multiple pages to contain the entire complement of stored information. This being the case, when such an informational document is printed the plurality of pages must be grouped together. Printing devices usually produce one page of the document at a time. Once the complete document is produced, those pages then need to be transferred to the next processing station.
Current photocopy machines are capable of high page output volumes. The massive output presents a particular problem when sets of pages comprise one document packet. If the output document packets are to be transferred to further post-printer processing equipment the transferring mechanism must keep up with the continual high flow of completed document packets exiting the printer. The subject device accomplishes this goal. None of the prior devices has the versatility, simplicity, reliability, and multiple capabilities of the subject device. Previous devices did not allow a user to collect and collate a multipage printed output of a designated document from a high-speed printer into a document packet and immediately transfer that packet, and a series of additional packets, to further processing equipment. The subject device solves the high volume flow problem by quickly collecting and collating a desired multipage document into a document packet and essentially immediately transferring that packet into the processing stream for further manipulations by additional equipment. Once a packet is transferred, the subject device is ready for receiving more pages of the next designated document. The subject system works efficiently to send multipage document packets from the output of the printer to any mated receiving equipment.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,048 is a method of making envelope and letter assemblies with a business letter fold. This patent refers only to a particular type of folding system and is not directly related to an interfacing system between a printer and, in this case, an envelope maker and stuffer.
A sheet distributing method and apparatus is related in U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,767. A complex collator control system is presented wherein the device automatically finds an appropriate set of empty bins for the desired printing, which may be folded or not, and the printed matter is transferred by conveyor belt from the printer to the next processing unit.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,796,196 and 4,800,504 present a letter processing apparatus with an interactive outgoing and incoming processing system. Conventional single sheet feeding mechanisms are provided for transferring printed matter from one location to another.
A mail preparation system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,505. Printed documents are simply physically transferred from the printer to inserter system without details as to the process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,506 describes an apparatus for preparing mail pieces. A computer driven system is designed to hold relevant mail piece information, instruct the printer to print desired information, and to deliver needed stationary items into the printer.
An insertion method and system with prioritized selection of inserts is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,042. This is a computer driven system that optimizes, based on a pre-established set of criteria, the desired weight to postage value for a piece of mail.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,378 discloses a bundler for handling bills of different denominations, including a system for tracking unbundled bills. Similar sheets of paper are stacked and transferred as a bundled unit. The system has means for detecting bill denominations and the number of bills in different locations during processing.
A printing and packaging system with a method of identifying an item of printed matter is related in U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,544. Documents are printed with text and identifying markings and stored in a buffer area. The printed documents are feed to a cutter, if continuous paper is used, and then to a folder. The identifying markings are scanned and any indicated inserts are supplied to an insertion machine along with the necessary envelopes. An appropriate address is printed on the receiving envelopes. The entire system is under computer control. No details are given as to document transferring means.